Hamlets Love And Respect For His Father example essay topic

The Delayed Revenge of Claudius Obedience to one's father is, will and has always been a big part to society. Whether it is listening, obeying, or just agreeing with him, there spect to one's father should be one of the most important roles in every day life for everyone. In the play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, Hamlets father gives him a task of revenge, the task to take revenge on the murderer ofhis father. Hamlets hesitation in seeking revenge for the death of his father was delayed because of the uncertainty surrounding his fathers death, his procrastination, and his selfishness. Although Hamlet knew in his heart that Claudius was in fact the killer, he needed to know for sure. In act one, scene two, we see Hamlet coming face to face with with the ghost, Hamlets father.

Everyone was skeptical to whether the ghost was an evil or a good ghost except for Hamlet. It is an honest ghost, let me tell you. Hamlet says this with complete assurance to Marcellus and Horatio, but was he so sure The duty of vengeance is laid onthe next of kind, who is faced with the problem of identifying the murderer (Harrison 4). If Hamlet was in fact so sure that the death of his father was murder by Claudius, then why did Hamlet set up a trap so he could seeClaudius's guilt Shakespeare intended for the ghost to remain mysterious (Cunningham 360). Hamlet was not sure that the ghost was a truthful ghost. I ll have the players play something like the murder of my father before my uncle, I ll observe his looks Wher in, I ll catch the continence of the king.

Hamlet setup this play to see if Claudius was the true killer, and through the kings response from the play, Hamlet discerned that the king was guilty for the murder of his father. Once Hamlet believed that Claudius was in fact the killer, he procrastinated his father's words, to seek revenge. The first time Hamlet had chance to kill Claudius, he hesitated for one reason, he was a procrastinator Claudius was alone, attempting to confesses his sins saying such things as What if this hand were thicker than itself with brothers blood, Is there not enough rain in the sweet heavens to wash it white as snow Claudius speaks of his spiritual state with extraordinary lucidity, but he has no penitence. He knows that he cannot be forgiven. He has no illusions about the magnitude ofhis own guilt, and his questions to God are searing in their passionate intensity (Charney 243). Isn t a mockery of Gods great mercies and forgiveness a worse sin than committing the sins itself Hamlet here had the perfect time to revenge his father, but he didn t.

Now might I do it pat, no whe is a-praying, and now I ll do it Hamlet goes on to say, No, Up, sword, and know now a more horrid hent: When he is drunk asleep, or in his rage, or in the in cest ious pleasure of his own bed. Are these excuses valid for not taking revenge on the death of his father, when Claudius isn t even sincere in his words Does Claudius's mockery on Gods forgiveness in itself, deserve death Without a doubt, this was Hamlets perfect chance to kill the king, but he procrastinated. Despite Hamlets love and respect for his father, Hamlet becomes sidetracked, and more concerned in revenging his father for his own selfish purposes. Hamlets soul is too philosophical and lacks the ability to act on impulse, and that he is too sensitive to avenge himself (Grenbenier 159). Hamlets problem is he thinks too much. He loses a sense of fact because he puts everything through his mind, filtering it until every good deed seems to have an alternative- In not doing the deed, but evaluating it even more (Bloom 66).

He needs to keep reminding himself that his father gave him a duty to take revenge on Claudius, and this is his main purpose. Hamlets father gave him specific orders not to blame, or take any of this out on his mother, and this is exactly what Hamlet does. He confronts his mother about Claudius ss in, and threatens her to a point of death. What wilt thou do Thou wouldn t murder me Help, ho!

Here we see that Hamlet is directly disobeying his father's words and is selfishly taking revenge for himself. So we see from Hamlets actions that his delay was in fact because ofhis uncertainty of the cause to the death of his father, his procrastination, and his selfishness. Although Hamlets love was omnipresent for his father, his respect was not. His motive was in the wrong place, his heart, and not his fathers. Because of Hamlets lack of trust, respect, and dignity, the revenge was not only delayed, but it cost's Hamlet his own death.